As any hospitality business owner knows, running a successful venue requires innovation and strategic marketing to attract customers and increase revenue. While this can be a challenge, digital signage has emerged in recent years as a game-changing tool, with research showing it can boost daily sales by up to 30%.
Thanks to advances in technology, digital displays are now more affordable, easy to set up, and customisable, making them accessible to venues of all sizes. Here are five ways you can use digital signage to drive sales and improve your customer experience:
1. Give customers a visual feast
Most of us know what it’s like to look at the person eating next to us in a restaurant and think, “I want what they’re having.” That’s because when it comes to food, customers eat with their eyes first. Research shows that visual displays receive 94% more views than text-based information, which is why incorporating high-quality visuals into your digital menu can help you significantly influence purchasing decisions.
Digital signage is the easiest way to showcase mouth-watering images and videos of your food and drinks. Showing your customers what they’re missing out on makes it much easier to entice them to indulge their sweet tooth or opt for another round of drinks.
Unlike printed menus, you can quickly and affordably refresh your displays to reflect seasonal menus, new arrivals, or trending items, ensuring customers always see the best options available.
2. Upsell your high-margin items
One of the simplest ways to increase revenue is by encouraging customers to purchase higher-margin products or add-ons. With digital signage, up-selling becomes seamless for one simple reason: customers are naturally drawn to eye-catching promotions without feeling pressured by staff. Whether it’s a special cocktail, a meal upgrade, or a featured dessert, digital signage can drive impulse purchases better than any other form of marketing.
Club Corowa is one venue that has seen the benefits of digital signage first-hand. Since implementing the technology, the club has decreased annual costs by more than 10% and seen a 15% increase in sales across the business, covering food, beverages, and function room bookings.
By strategically placing digital displays in the same way, other venues can capture customer attention and influence spending on the most profitable products and services.
3. Make sure your menu gets noticed
Printed signs can be expensive to update and often fail to catch customers’ attention, whereas digital displays offer a modern, engaging way to get your venue noticed.
Instead of investing time and money in redesigning your menus or promotions every time something changes, digital signage allows instant updates for price and event changes, availability, and seasonal items, ensuring customers always have accurate information.
This is made all the more seamless thanks to AI-powered digital signage platforms, which empower hospitality venues to create professional signage effortlessly – no design skills required.
4. Keep your customers engaged
Every venue owner knows that a happy customer is a repeat customer, but long wait times are often unavoidable and can lead to frustration. The good news is that digital signage helps reduce perceived wait times by up to 35% by keeping customers entertained and informed while they’re in line or waiting for their food.
In fact, digital signage can turn waiting into an opportunity to promote future business. While customers wait, digital displays can showcase venue promotions, live sports schedules, and upcoming events. This not only enhances the customer experience but also builds loyalty by keeping patrons engaged and interested in what’s happening at the venue.
5. Improve operational efficiency
Beyond driving sales, digital signage can also help venues operate more efficiently. Displays can be used to communicate important information, such as estimated wait times, seating availability, or event schedules, reducing the need for staff to answer repetitive customer queries.
At Club Corowa, digital signage has replaced outdated chalkboards and printed signs, saving time and labour costs. Staff can now manage signage remotely, ensuring consistent branding and clear messaging across the venue. For busy venues, this can save hours of work every week and allow staff to focus on delivering great customer experiences.
Digital signage is no longer just for large franchises – it’s an affordable, effective solution for venues of all sizes. Now is the perfect time to embrace this technology and take hospitality sales to the next level.
Written by Steven Baxter, an entrepreneur and the founder of Mandoe Media.
